Machine for wrapping tips on cigarettes and the like.



JIN. TZIBIDES. MACHiNE FOR WRAPPING TIPS ON CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, I914.

Patented July 3, 1917.

5 SHEETSHEET I ma mo JAMES /V. 72/19/053 l wrA/rszs J. N. TZlBiDES.

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING TIPS 0N CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1914.

1,?331 1%u Patented July 3, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

as" I A TTI a J. N. TZIBIDES.

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING TIPS ON CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, I9I4.

Patented July 3, 191?,

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5 SHEETSSHEET 3- Bow I/MTA/E'S'SES' J. N. TZIBlDES. MACHINE FOR WRAPPING TIPS 0N CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27 1914- v '1 ,1 1% Patented J111y3, 1917..

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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l/MTA/ESSES I //Vl/E/V 7'08 W 69 Q 7 m flaws /V. 7 2/5/0529 v 51 M68: WaMai WQQMF J. N. TZIBIDES.

MACHlNE FOH WRAPPING TIPS 0N CIGAHETTES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. I914. L fihmm Patented July 3,1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

UNTTED @TATE% PATENT .FFllQlE.

JAMES N. TZIBIIDES, OF BEACI-IMONT, MASSACHUSETTS.

L'IAGHINE FOR WRAPPING TIPS ON CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June 2'7, 1914:.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus N. TZIBIDES, a subject of the King of Greece, residing at Beachmont, in the county of Suffolk and State of h'lassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Wrapping Tips on Cigarettes and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for placing cork tips on cigarettes. It is in the nature of an improvement on the machine shown in my Patent No. 890,73at, dated June 16, 1908, to which reference is made for a fuller explanation of.

parts where necessary. A portion of the mechanism shown in the present application is shown more in detail and is claimed in my co-pending application for patent, Serial No, $7,729, via: the feeding mechanism, for taking cigarettes from a quantity held loosely as a supply in a magazine and arranging them singly, end to end, longitudinally on the conveyer belt which is marked 34: herein. lVhile the invention claimed in this present specification is illustrated as designed for the work of automatically ap plying cork tips to cigarettes, it is to be understood that the same principles may be applied to similar uses and that the. structure may be changed in various. respects without departing from the scope of the patent as defined by the appended claims. It is the purpose of the patent to cover, in the claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

The special object of the mechanism here illustrated is to provide improved means for assembling and wrapping together a cigarette, a strip of cork to form the tip, and a proper amount of adhesive substance. The purpose is to do this automatically, taking cigarettes from a quantity held loosely in the magazine; taking cork or other wrapper from a rolled strip; bringing the cigarettes singly and successively to a place where a section of the strip is associated with them; executing a wrapping operation gradually as the cigarette and section of the strip move on together; and then depositing the completely wrapped cigarettes in a magazine whence they may be removed in quantity. The action of the mechanism is substantially continuous. As a result the machine is capable of operating smoothly with a very large output per minute. The invention also comprises improvements details .of the mecha- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 191?.

Serial No. 847,728.

nism, such as the means for automatically introducing the cigarettes to the place where the wrapping is to begin, in proper position individually; severing the proper length of strip, and arranging it so that the lap will come at the desired place on the cigarette, both of these features being adjustable according to the size of cigarette, length of lap desired and position of lap desired. The manner of controlling the position of cigarettes and cork, to produce uniformity of results, and other details will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of certain parts on a larger scale;

Fig. s is a plan of certain parts on a still larger scale; 4

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a fragment of the parts shown in Fig 4, with portions removed for clearness;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a detail of the strip handling means;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of part of the mechanism which includes the severing blade, as it would be seen on looking toward it from the left hand side of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the same as seen from the rear;

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the same as seen from the same direction as Fig. 7, but with the blade in its closed position;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the same as seen from the rear;

Fig. 11 is plan of the same when in the position of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation, in section, of the conveyer belt 3i and associated parts; and

Fig. 18 is a front elevation of the parts seen in Fig. 12.

Referring to the drawings, an understanding of the general arrangement and op eration of the mechanism will be facilitated by obser ing that a supply of cigarettes 16 is contained in a holder whose nearer wall 12 and bottom 1 1: are seen at the rear end of the machine, and that the apparatus takes the cigarettes thence automatically to the stop 23 and thence by a rotary distributer having pockets 28, and by way of a belt 39, to a belt 34, WhereOII they lie end to end, in single file, with the leading one at the position marked A in Figs. 12, 3 and 4. When in this position it is at the forward end of the trough of which that belt forms the bottom, about in the middle of Fig. 2. The leading cigarette is pushed endwise forward, Fig. 2, by a distance equal to its own length, whenever opportunity offers, into the position B, Figs. 12, 13, 3, 4, whence it' is taken by the main rotating drum, and, after being subject to the operation of certain appliances for positioning it precisely, is carried around that drum through the positions, C, D, E and F to G where, completely wrapped, it is discharged upon a delivery plate, whence it falls to position H on a delivery belt that deposits it in the magazine M to await removal by the operator.

The action of the mechanism which delivers the cigarette to position A is fully illustrated and described in my co-pending application for patent Serial N o. 847 ,7 29, to which reference is hereby made for such description. Briefly, the cigarettes 16 are suitably agitated in their supply hopper, 12, 14, so that they slide down on the bottom plate 17 in single row to a position against the stop 23, as seen in Fig. 1. Pockets 28, revolving through a path which laps past the end of plate 17, successively lift the foremost cigarette of the row, carry it over and deposit it on the guide chute 32 whence it passes by gravity to the belt 39 (lying trans versely thereon) and is by that belt deposited upon the transversely running belt 34. The gearing connections between the belt 34 and the distributer 28 are such that the speed of the belt 34 carries each individual cigarette clear of the edge of belt 39 before the next cigarette arrives. If unobstructed each cigarette so deposited would be carried to position A where the belt 84 terminates its horizontal course and turns down around a guide pulley 34, Figs. 4, 12, and would be projected beyond if the way were clear.

When so projected it slides into a skele ton tray 41, seen in Figs. 3, 12 and 13, and seen. in part (part being broken away) in Fig. 5 until it strikes a stop 42 seen in Figs. 12, 3 and 4. This tray occupies an approximately horizontal position above the main drum 43 in a place where the cigarette can be engaged by two radially projecting pins 44 and 44 which rotate with the drum, and be carried by them, to the left, Fig. 4, until it slides off of the tray 41 at its end 41 and is thus transferred to the surface of the drum itself. The drum has any suitable number of appliances for receiving and manipulating the cigarette which are exact duplicates of each other, ten being represented in this case, as seen best in Fig. 3. At each of these places the drum has on its cylindrical surface a concave recess or shallow socket 45, one of whichis seen where the parts are broken away for that purpose, at the position G in Fig. 3, so shaped as to receive and hold the cigarette in proper alinement in parallelism with the axis of drum. Cooperating with each socket 45 is a piece 45 sliding radially on the side of the drum, capable of being projected radially outward and having in its outer end a concavity 45 adapted to register with and form a continnation of the socket 45 and to hold that part of the cigarette which is wrapped with the cork tip. A pin 44 may for convenience be mounted on this sliding part, while the pin 44 is conveniently set stationary in the drum near the other end of the cigarette. These two pins are in alinement with each other in the direction parallel with the axis, so that as they, traveling with the drum, rise under the tray 41 they engage the cigarette lying thereon in position B, carry it along with them and off of the end of the tray, whereupon it falls into the socket 45 which is on the surface of the drum immediately in advance of those pins. Cooperating with each socket 45 is a clamp having a two-part upper jaw 46 working on a single pivot 46, which jaw is capable of swinging from the open position shown at the right in Fig. 3 to the closed position shown at positions C and D in 3. in order to clamp the cigarette down into the socket 45 and hold it there so that it moves with the drum during the va rious operations that are performed upon it. Springs 46", one of which is seen in full lines at position G, Fig. 3, and which is shown on a larger scale in Fig. 5, tend to hold these jaws 46 open. A light spring rod 46, projecting from the pivot 46, opposes the spring 46 to close the jaw between the two positions that are illustrated in Fig. 5, where it engages the beginning of a fixed quadrant 47, and is thereby swung upward, wlth the result that it simultaneously swings the jaw 46 forward and downward into position to clamp the cigarette in its socket. The quadrant is fixed adj ustably in position. As the motion continues the spring rod 46 trails along in a groove 47 in the said quadrant, holding the jaw 46 closed with an elastic pressure resulting from the slight bending of the rod by the quadrant as very clearly shown in Fig.

In order to position the cigarette properly before it is thus firmly clamped there are several auxiliary devices, including the stop 42 against which the cigarette is projected endwise from the belt 34; a discharge opening 42 for loose tobacco in tray 41 immediately under the place where the cigarette engages the stop 42; anequalizing-detent having two prongs 48 of equal length and one longer prong 48 intervening between them and of greater length; and an endwise adjusting lever 49. To these may be added the spring cushioned gage 50 against which the cigarette is pushed by the lever 49 to standardize its position just before it is clamped, and to support and close its end during the succeeding operations.

These cooperate to position the cigarette in a precisely correct location just as the clamps 46 descend upon it. The opening 42 through the tray 41 permits small particles of tobacco, which occasionally fall out of the end of the cigarette to fall through the tray 41 into the inclined spout of an under tray 42 where they slide down out of the way. In the absence of this device such small grains of tobacco are liable to accumulate 011 the tray 41 and to prevent the cigarette when in position B from moving to the stop 42 when projected toward it. The provision of the hole 42 would efliciently remove the bits of tobacco; but it would deposit them on the strip of gummed cork which. is most conveniently positioned di rectly under. The introduction of this hole and of the tray located above the strip of cork prevents the occasional inclusion of a little piece of tobacco between the cigarette and its cork wrapper, which would make a defective product. This insurance for proper longitudinal positioning of the cigarette at B is coupled with a series of guides and stops 41 which insure its proper alinement. As a result, each arriving pair of pins 44 and 44 are certain to find the cigarette in position to be taken by them; and they push it loosely along on the tines of the tray 41.

The top equalizin -detent is provided with three spring fingers. Two are of equal length, located at each end of the cigarette, so positioned as to terminate just beyond the place 41' where the cigarette has slipped off of the tray 41 and at such an elevation above the surface of the drum as to tip the oval cigarette, if necessary, so that it lies on its flatter side. They cooperate with the pins 44, 44, and the termini of, tines 41 to main tain the cigarette, at moment of its dropping, standardized in parallelism with the axis of the drum, so that it falls properly into the shallow socket 45. Thereafter the middle finger 48 continues its contact with the top of the cigarette, as seen most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, keeping it in proper position in the socket 45 by gentle pressure while the lever 49 is actuated to push it into proper position longitudinally against a stop 50. The clamp 46 meanwhile has been closing; and it reaches its clamping position just as the lever 49 reaches its final position with the cigarette properly placed for accurate assemblage with the cork strip. The lever 49 consists of a flat spring blade, seen in Fig. 4, mounted on a stationary part of the apparatus, pivoted at 49, and having a tail 49" extending forward in the direction of which the drum is moving, and lying in position to be engaged by the pins 46' pre viously mentioned as they pass. It is of such length as to be engaged by each of these passing pivot pins and swung slightly on its own pivot 49 at the instant when the cigarette on which it is to act is passing its blade 49. This completes the positioning of the cigarette.

The cork strip 51 which is to be wrapped around its end comes from a supply roll 51 and passes through a suitable mechanism for applying adhesive material such as paste to it. In the form illustrated the strip of cork passes into brief contact with a roll 51 and then goes through a tension device seen in Fig. 6 and thence onwardas best seen in Figs. 3 and 5 to the place where its end por tion is severed from it and is associated with the cigarette just beyond the position C.

The tension device represented in Fig. 6 is a spring clamp, consisting of a little spring 52 against which an under-bar 52 presses the cork strip intermittently. The rotation of the ratchet wheel 52 is timed with respect to the rotation of the main cigarette carrying drum, so that one of the teeth of that ratchet lifts the tail of the lever 52, on which the under bar 52 is mounted, whenever the drum is about to draw forth a portion of cork strip as hereinafter described, and suddenly releases it, thus clamping the strip to stop its motion, whenever the draft of the strip ceases and the severing mechanism acts to cut 01f the leading portion of the cork strip, as hereinafter described. From this spring clamp the cork strip passes over a fiat support or guide 51 which conducts it to a position close to position C of the cigarette, and supports it there with its leading end projecting to the place where the severing blades 60, 61 are shown in Fig. 3. A piece of spring wire 53 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) presses down 011 the top of the strip near the end of the support 51". It will be understood that one edge of the strip is about in the plane of the vertical face of the drum, and that the other edge of the strip is in line with the face of the stop 50, which is the position of the end of the cigarettes. In reaching its position illustrated in F 4, each stop 50 rises beside the edge of the cork strip 51, moving along with the drum and springing back a little from the face of the drum, if necessary, in order to pass the metal support 51 of the cork strip, or the cigarette stop 42 and edge of the tray 42 under it, but it should be borne in mind that the thickness of these parts is necessarily exaggerated in Fig. 4 in order to show them and to represent the thickness of the metal, and that in reality they need not project much farther from the plane of the drums face than does the cork strip.

A cam groove 54, seen in Fig. 4, in which a roller 54 runs, controls the position of rec the slide 54, and so moves the rod 54 carrying the jaw 55, in a direction parallel with the axis of the drum, to or from a place where it is adapted to coiiperate with another jaw 56 (see Fig. 3) to seize and draw forth the cork strip. The gripping action of the jaw is effected by turning the rod 54 on which it is mounted against the tension of a spiral spring coiled thereon, and is controlled by the means seen best in Fig. 3 consisting of a cam 55 fixed above the place where the jaw is to be closed and adapted to engage and depress a lug 55 located conveniently at a little distance from the plane of the face of the drum, as seen best in Fig. 4. The under and coiiperating jaw 56 is merely the top surface of the forward portion of the sliding piece 65, being the part which is in advance, as the drum rotates, of the socket 4L5. The position of this sliding piece 4.5, when retracted toward the center of the drum, is illustrated at C and to the right thereof in Fig. 3, and is such that in the course of its path, rotating with the drum, the jaw 56 travels close underneath the tape 51. lVhilo it is moving in this close proximity to the tape and has nearly reached the position 0, the upper jaw 55 is turned down upon it, and is held down, by the cam 55, so that the cork strip is gripped between the two jaws 55, 56 and consequently is drawn along with those jaws at the same speed at which this part of the drum is rotating. In Fig. 3 the position of the parts is represented just after this clamping has been effected. While this draft is continuing, or, preferably, after this draft has ceased, the severing blades, 60, 61 operate as described hereinafter, at the place where they are shown in Fig. 3. Their operation is timed so as to occur when the cigarette shown near them in Fig. 3, has passed them with a suitable length of the cork strip to cover the tip of the cigarette. The portion of cork thus severed travels on with the cigarette, while the slight tension imposed on the remaining strip-end by the spring 53 and the more positive tension imposed by the device shown in Fig. 6

instantly bring the main portion of the strip to rest, to await the arrival and action of the next pair of jaws 55, 56.

As the cigarette passes on from position C, being held firmly on the drum by the clamp 46, the slide a5 is pushed up by the action of cam groove 57 (Fig. 3) until at position I) its socket 45 has assembled the cork and the cigarette end closely together with the cork in intimate adhesive contact with the whole under side, of the cigarette, and with ends of the cork upstanding. The cork is held with sufficient security by being pinched adhesively under the cigarette as this operation is in process, and conse quently the jaw 55 may be released, by its lug 55 reaohingthe end of the cam 55.

previously 'to the rising of the sliding piece 45. If not, shank of jaw 55 may be elastic to permit this movement to proceed a little way before the jaw 55 is released. such release the cam groove 54E retracts the slide 5 and draws the jaw 55 and its lug in the direction which is downward in Fig. 4t, and is toward the eye in Fig. 3, so that the brushes 58, 59 and the burnishing wheel can act upon it unimpeded. These brushes are connected in any suitable way, as by belts or gearing, so that the brush 58 runs in the direction illustrated in Fig. 3 and swings upward in synchronism with the passing of the cigarettes, so as to rub against the upstanding advance flap of the cork tip between positions D and E, so wrapping that flap over the tip of the cigarette. Between the positions Eand F the other brush 59, rotating in. the opposite direction and moving at a speed greater than the surface of the drum but likewise in synchronism so that it registers with and acts upon every cigarette that passes, folds the rear upstanding flap down upon the forward flap. After this, between positions F and G, the burnishing wheel 7 O, which may preferably be a wheel with a smooth metal surface revolving in the direction of the cigarettes motion, presses and perfects the sealing operation, so that at the position G the clamps 46 may be released by the spring wire 4L6 thereof reaching the end of the quadrant L7, thus releasing the cigarette and permitting it to fall from the drum to the guide plate 71 along which it is pro polled by the depending pins 44, 4a in case it does not slide freely by gravity, until it reaches the end thereof and drops to position H on the delivery belt 72, whence it is carried to the magazine M to await removal by the operator and packing for shipment. Simultaneously with the release of the jaws 46 the sliding piece l5 may be moved radially inward by the cam groove 57, which is curved as at 57 into the position where it will register with the underside of the cork strip 51 when it comes around to the top to receive and act upon another cigarette.

The severing blades, 60, 61 are actuated by mechanism which is shown in detail in Figs. 7 to 11. The blades 60, 61 work with a shearing action. They are carried on a shaft 62 which has an intermittent rocking movement of about 90 controlled by cam 63 or in any other suitable way. This cam has a groove 63 which acts upon a roller 63 to move the connecting rod 64 backward and forward, thus rocking the gear 65 and the beveled gear 65 on the shaft 62 which meshes with it. The cam 63 may conveniently be driven by a gear 66 through the small gear seen in Fig. 1, so that it rotates once for each time a socket a5" and its asso After ciated slide 45, jaw 55 and other parts passes the position C; and its groove 63 is so formed that the oscillation is one which throws the blades quickly downward from the horizontal and inactive position of Fig. 7 to the cutting position of Fig. 9 and then throws them back again. The termination of the downward stroke, and the initial part of the upward stroke must occur between the passing of the slide 4-5 and the arrival of the advance part of the next jaw 55. It will be noted, as seen in Fig. 1, that the gear 65 is of considerably smaller diameter than the gear 65. The result of this is that a relatively slight change in the course of the cam groove 63 is sufficient to turn the gear 65 far enough so that the gear 65 is turned substantially through a quadrant, turning the severing blades from their inactive position where they project horizontally forward into the position where they stand vertically under the shaft 62 with the cork strip between them. The severing occurs as they approach the extremity of their downward swing, which is the position illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, and 11. The severing stroke is effected automatically at this part of the stroke by the construction and arrangement of parts now to be described. Rigid on the rocking shaft 62 is a block 67 in which moves a slide 60 carrying the blade 60. The blade 61 is mounted 011 rod 61 which is supported on the same shaft, although not rigidly in one respect as will be hereinafter explained. The slide and blade 60 are continually pressed toward the blade 61 by a spring 60 strung on the rod 61. The blades-6O and 61 are separated, when the shaft 62 is turned, by a cam 60" which is in the form of a stationary ring around the shaft 62, being fast on that portion of the frame 68 of the machine which is adjacent thereto. This cam has a bulge toward the rear. Fig. 7 shows this in the act of holding the head 69 of slide 60 to the left, thus holding the blades apart, against pressure of the spring 60. The cam has a lower top, so that when the shaft 62 and head 69 are to the top, as in Fig. 9, with the blades down, the blade 60 is free to close upon the blade 61, so far as this cam is concerned. If such closing were controlled by the cam 60 it would be gradual, because the slope of the cam is gradual; but the actual closing is delayed until the blades have reached almost the extremity of their downward swing by a latch 69 which is pivoted on the block 67 and is pulled by a spring 69 to a position obstructing movement of the sliding head 69. This latch and its spring, therefore, hold the knives wide open during the clownward swing of the blades. Displacement of the latch is occasioned close to the end of the swing of the mechanism, by the pin 71, when that pin has swung from its lnactive position seen in Figs. 7 and 8 upward around the axis of the shaft 62 and to the position in which it is illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, where it is represented as having struck a stop 68 fixed on the frame 68. This pin projects from the latch 69. The continued movementof the shaft 62 and the block 67 therefore throws this latch out from under the head 69 and allows that head to descend under action of the spring 60 pushing down the blade 60. As this action occurs only in the very last small portion of the travel of these parts, it is seen that it occurs only after the blades have come into position on each side of the cork strip. As the cork strip is always in a definite and closely limited path, the blades can be set with great precision so that the severing stroke is short and very quick. Consequently very little space along the drum is required, even when it is rotating at relatively high speed, for the blades to be thrown into place, to do their work and to be thrown out again. The blade 60 is withdrawn from blade 61 on the upward stroke by the cam 60", and is latched there by the latch 69 when fully withdrawn. The knives may be maintained in good cutting condition, without necessity for frequent removal for sharpening, by providing a constant pressure twisting one of them against the other. This is accomplished by means of the spring 72 and by the fact that the rod 61 on which the blade 61 is mounted is slightly rotatable in its support. The blade 60 is held ncnrotatably in its sliding bearing 67. The spring 72 is attached at one end to said bearing block, and at its other end to a pin extending from a collar fast on the rod 61. Thus this spring applies a turning moment to the rod 61 and in fact turns it as far as the rod can turn, 2'. 6., until the blade 61 is close against the blade 60. This keeps the edge of these blades rubbing together at all times.

The parts may be adjusted to provide for cutting ofl wrappers of different length by using a cam 55 of different length, so that the distance during which the jaw 55 continues its grip and draft on the cork strip is longer or shorter. The parts may be adjusted to provide for a different posi tion of the lap of flaps of the wrapper by changing the setting of cam 63 on its shaft, so that it actuates the severing mechanism at a point more or less distant from the cigarette, z. 6., at a greater or less time after the cigarette has passed the place where the severing occurs. In the preferred way of setting and operating the machine the cam 55 is so arranged that it re leases the jaw 55 and so ceases pulling the strip before the severing mechanism acts. The latter then acts upon a stationary strip, the movement of the strip having been instantly stopped by the action of the tension spring 53 and clamp 52. In the interval, however brief, between the releasing of the jaw 55 and the severing, the cigarette is moving on with the drum and the strip of cork under it is being held stationary. Thus, the cigarette is gradually approaching the leading end of the cork strip. This approach may be arrested by the severing of the strip, upon the occurrence of which the severed portion begins instantly to move along with the cigarette. The position of the lap of the flaps will then depend upon the length of wrapper which is before the cigarette and that which is behind it. The coating of paste between the severed section and the cigarette hold the two together until the sliding piece -l 5' rises and bends the wrapper ends up from their arrangement shown at position C to that shown at position I). As the action of the machine continues, the brush 58, whose function is to wipe down the leading flap of the cigarette, may accumulate some paste from its rubbing against the upstanding rear flap. If so, no harm is done, for it may apply a little of this paste to the outside of the leading flap, While the fact that it is itself pasty prevents it from removing paste from the rear flap to any undesirable extent. The brush 59 operates only on the clean back of the rear flap, and thus leaves the tip clean. Both of these brushes revolve continuously and are therefore susceptible of performing their functions at a high rate of speed. They turn synchronously with the arrival of each cigarette within their respective fields of action. As practically all of the parts of the mechanism move continuously, and as the motion of those parts Whose action is reciprocating is but slight and the recipro eating parts themselves light in weight, the machine has possibilities of running at very high speed with steady perfection of operation, thus producing a large output per machine with no greater cost for labor of attendance than is required of a machine having a much smaller output. The arrangement clearly illustrated in Fig. 12 contributes to this uniformity, by which several cigarettes are always waiting at the position A, and back of it, ready to be thrust forward into the position B by the swiftly moving belt 34 as rapidly as the cigarette in position B is moved by the successive pairs of pins all, at on the main drum 48.

It will readily be understood that varia tions and adjustments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and patent.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination in band applying mechanism of a holder for a supply of rodshaped articles; a conveyer belt, means to transfer the articles to it singly, one behind the other, end to end; a stop for the leading article; wrapping mechanism moving continuously adjacent to said leading article and having means to seize and remove said articles in a transverse direction; said belt slipping idly under the articles while they are stopped and projecting them forward to replace the leading article immediately upon its removal.

2. The combination in band applying mechanism of a tray and means for feeding rod-like articles endwise thereto, including a conveyor belt adapted to slip idly under a line of the articles when their move ment is obstructed, and to propel them into said tray when the obstruction is removed, and a drum adapted to seize the leading article and to seize a wrapper; and to con vey these two by continuous motion through a course where they are wrapped together.

3. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving element having means for seizing a rod-shaped article and a wrapper for it in passing where these are supplied, and having a socket conforming to the shape of the article and adapted to receive both the article and wrapper, thereby partially wrapping the article; and supplementary means for completing the wrapping, mounted adjacent to the course of the socket after'it receives the article and Wrapper.

f. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving element having means for seizing a rod-shaped article and a wrapper for it in passing where these are supplied; means pressing the middle of the wrapper about a part of the article, leaving the ends thereof projecting; and supplementary wrapping means comprising continuously rotating, flexible wipers mounted adjacent to the subsequent course of the article and wrapper.

5. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving element with means moving with said element to dislodge an article resting in a stationary position adjacent to its course; means to assemble a wrapper with said article on said moving element and means to complete the wrapping while the article and wrapper are moving with said element.

6. The combination in band applying mechanism with a drum and wrapping mechanism for rod-shaped articles, of pins projecting radially from the drum; and a tray adjacent to the surface of the drum having openings in its bottom through which said pins may pass to engage and remove an article therefrom to the drum.

7. The combination in band applying mechanism with a drum and wrapping mechanism for rod-shaped articles, of pins projecting radially from the drum; a tray adjacent to the surface of the drum having openings in its bottom through which said pins may pass to remove an article therefrom to the drum; and stationarily mounted devices for standardizing the position of the article on the drum at the time of transfer.

8. The combination in band applying mechanism with a drum and wrapping mechanism for rod-shaped articles, of pins projecting radially from the drum; a tray adjacent to the surface of the drum having openings in its bottom through which said pins may pass to remove an article therefrom to the drum; and detents adapted to engage the tops of the ends of the article to correct its position as it is transferred.

9. The combination in band applying mechanism with a drum and wrapping mechanism for rod-shaped articles, of pins projecting radially from the drum; a tray adjacent to the surface of the drum having openings in its bottom through which said pins may pass to remove an article therefrom to the drum; the said drum having a shallow socket extending parallel to its axis to receive the article, and there being a stationary detent to engage the top and standardize the position of any article not lying fiat in said socket.

10. The combination in band applying mechanism with a drum and wrapping mechanism for rod-shaped articles, of pins projecting radially from the drum; a tray adjacent to the surface of the drum having openings in its bottom through which said pins may pass to remove an article therefrom to the drum; the said articles lying parallel to the aXis of the drum, and there being on the drum a socket and end-stop for the article; a strip support holding the wrapping material in registry with said stop; and a lever actuated by a part moving with the drum to push the cigarette in the socket endwise to said stop.

11. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum and wrapping mechanism for cigarettes with means to hold a supply strip of wrapper in registry with the face of the drum, and means to move cigarettes singly into position above the drum and said strip; there being an opening under the leading end of the cigarette and a tray beneath it but above the said supply strip.

12. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum with means to wrap the tips of rod-shaped articles carried thereby; means to support said articles singly over the drum with their tips projecting beyond the face of the drum; means to hold a supply strip of wrapping material beside the face of the drum and under the said projecting tip; and means on the drum to seize the article in passing and to seize the end of the supply strip in passing and assemble the two together on the drum; and means acting thereafter to sever the end. of the strip and to wrap the severed portion about the article while the drum continues in motion.

18. The combination in. band applying mechanism of a continuously moving element having means for seizing an article and its wrapper in passing, and a socket adapted to receive the article and its wrapper; the articleseizing means including pins upstanding from the drum behind the socket, and the wrapper seizure comprising a clamp adapted to pinch the wrapper on the forward edge of the socket.

14:. Band applying mechanism, comprising in combination a continuously moving socket-member; means to supply articles singly to a definite location, and means to hold a supply strip of wrapping material in a definite location; means whereby the said socket member seizes such article and wrapper, its socket enveloping approximately half of the article, with flaps of the wrapper projecting toward the edges of the socket; and supplementary wrapping means at fixed positions later in the course of the moving socket member adapted to act upon the portions which project from the socket.

15. The combination in band. applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum and means moving therewith to take from positions of rest an article that is to be wrapped and a strip of wrapping material; means releasing the strip when a predeterminate amount has been drawn; severing means acting on the strip after such release; and wrapping mechanism.

16. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum and means moving therewith to take an article from a position of rest; means on the drum to seize a strip of wrapping material; a stationary cam controlling the place and duration of seizure; severing mechanism, acting on the strip after the termination of its seizure; and wrapping mechanism.

17. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum having means to seize from a position of rest and carry with it articles whose tips are to be wrapped; an element moving with the drum and having a socket conforming to the shape of one side of the article that is to be wrapped; mechanism moving with the drum for seizing the end of a. strip of wrapping material overlying the socket; means to release and to stop the movement of the strip; means to sever the strip when the movement of the article and socket has continued a predetermined amount thereafter; means to assemble the article and severed portion in said socket thereby beginning the wrapping; and means to complete the wrapping during further movement of the drum.

18. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum with means to seize from a stationary position an article; means to seize, draw forth and release a strip of wrapping material for it; means to sever the strip when again stationary at the place where its leading end formerly was; the position of the portion that is to be severed being adjusted with respect to the article during the interval. between said release of the strip and severing of the strip.

19. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum with a multiplicity of mechanisms thereon similar to each other, spaced equally apart and each adapted to seize an article and a wrapper strip and then to release the strip; strip severing mechanism; and a cam operating it rotating once for each of said equal spaces and operating the said mechanism each time to sever the strip at a predetermined interval after the said release thereof.

20. The combination in band applying mechanism, with a continuously moving drum, of means to apply adhesive to a strip of wrapping material; means on the drum to seize an article and the end of said strip, and to position the article in adhesive contact with said strip; means to sever a predetermined length of the strip, the severed portion being carried forward by adhesion to said article; and mechanism for Wrapping the adhering portion around it.

21. The combination in band applying mechanism with a continuously moving drum, and means to assemble an article and the end of a strip of Wrapping material together thereon, of strip severing mechanism, and means moving it into and out of the path of the said assembled articles, said moving means being connected positively with the drum, whereby synchronously with the passage of said assembled articles it severs the strip at a predetermined interval after each such passage.

22. The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum; severing mechanism for the strip of Wrapping material; continuously rotating means imparting to it intermittently a movement to and from the strip position; and means arranged in multiple at equal spaces on the drum to seize an article and said strip and assemble them together 011 the drum before each such intermittent action.

The combination in band applying mechanism of a continuously moving drum having a multiplicity of similar article and strip seizing mechanisms equally spaced; a cam connected to rotate once with the passage of each said mechanism; a connecting rod reciprocated by said cam; multiplying gearing, moved by said connecting rod; and strip severing mechanism actuated angularly thereby through a considerable arc to and from the strip; whereby slight throws of the cam repeatedly permit passage of article and strip and then sever the strip.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 25th day of June, 1914.

JAMES N. TZIBIDES Witnesses EVERETT ELKnN'r, JOSEPH T. BRENNAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Gommlssioner of Patents,

Washington, I). O. 

